THE Visayan Electric Company (Veco) sued the Cebu Provincial Government, two Capitol officials and two others over what it described as a "patently illegal act" in classifying the power firm's electrical posts and transformers as real properties subject to taxes.

Veco, through its lawyer, Lelany Reso-or, filed a civil complaint before the Regional Trial Court against the Province, Provincial Treasurer Roy Salubre, Provincial Assessor Anthony Sususco and two Consolacion town officers for prohibition and injunction, with application for a writ of preliminary injunction and restraining order.

Reso-or said the power company received a notice of sale of delinquent real property, threatening to sell at a public auction all of its electrical posts and transformers in Consolacion, Cebu for failing to settle tax dues of about P9.959 million.

Later, the power company said it learned that Herrera and Sususco "connived" and "erroneously declared about 2,391 electrical posts and 340 transformers of Veco… subject to real property taxes.

"The tax declaration covering Veco's electrical posts and transformers was issued without prior consultation, and without its knowledge and consent," said Reso-or.

MANILA - Labor Secretary Marianito Roque on Wednesday called on shipping companies to provide more protection for Filipino sailors after 16 of them were seized by pirates who took over a Greek-flagged supertanker off Somalia.

The Cebu City Council yesterday asked the Metro Cebu Water District and the Department of Public Works and Highways to inspect the 99-year-old Buhisan dam because of fear that the structure is already weak and may pose risk of a deluge.

(UPDATE 3) Seven counts of murder were filed Wednesday against the Ampatuan patriarch, five members of his powerful clan, and six other suspects in the gruesome killing of at least 57 people in Maguindanao, officials said.

The military on Wednesday cordoned off the residences of the Ampatuans ahead of the filing of murder charges against them, saying it was necessary in case authorities need to serve arrest warrants against any clan member.

Apart from the eight policemen under restrictive custody at the CIDG office, 14 others were flown in Wednesday and would be investigated about their possible involvement in the crime.

This as he admitted that several other policemen have gone AWOL (absent without leave), including chief of police PO1 Abbey Guiadem and Inspector Saudi Mokamad.

(UPDATE) A firearm seized by authorities from one of two militiamen arrested shortly after the massacre in Maguindanao matched some of the spent shells that were found at the scene of the crime, police confirmed and called the discovery a "breakthrough" Wednesday.

If the women victims in the November 23 massacre were not raped, why were their pants unzipped? While the investigation of the grisly killings continues, experts look at angles on the possible reasons.

The military said on Wednesday it has limited the movement of the Ampatuan clan to their homes to avoid unpleasant incidents in case authorities need to serve arrest warrants against any member of the powerful political family over the massacre in Maguindanao last week.

A scion of the influential Ampatuan clan, who is also the vice governor of Maguindanao, was briefly held by police on Monday after Army personnel recovered what they thought to be unlicensed firearms from his alleged police escorts in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, police said Wednesday.

(UPDATE) Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno has given Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao Governor Zaldy Ampatuan five days to respond to allegations of negligence lodged against him by his political rival after Puno ordered an investigation following the massacre incident in Maguindanao province.

Despite the threats, Malacañang on Wednesday urged judges and prosecutors to go full-blast in the prosecution of Andal Ampatuan Jr. and the other suspects in the Maguindanao massacre, vowing to provide them security.

The United States has indefinitely suspended its development projects in Maguindanao in the aftermath of the massacre in the province due to security concerns, US Ambassador to Manila Kristie Kenney said Wednesday night.

Worried that another candidate with the same surname would ruin the chances of a bet of the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK), Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña wants him declared as a nuisance candidate.

Osmeña described Jacinto del Mar, who also filed his certificate of candidacy for congressman of the North District, a ploy of their opponents.

BOPK is fielding Rachel 'Cutie' del Mar, daughter of incumbent Rep. Raul del Mar, who is not anymore eligible to seek reelection as he is on his third straight term.

Jacinto, 49, of barangay Capitol Site is the bet of the Philippine Green Republican Party (PGRP). He is a preacher.

A lawyer dared Commission on Elections Chairman Jose Melo on Wednesday to admit that arrangements for the 2010 automated elections were in disarray and manual vote counting may be the most efficient method available to avoid cheating and other irregularities.

Two senatorial candidates from major parties, lawyer Raul Lambino of the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD and former representative Gilbert Remulla of Nacionalista Party, beat the 12 midnight deadline for the filing of certificates of candidacy at the Commission on Elections on Tuesday.

President Arroyo's half-sister has turned down the invitation to run for congresswoman of Pampanga's second district, leaving less popular candidates to challenge the President's congressional bid in the 2010 polls.

Malacañang made little effort on Tuesday to douse speculation that the real agenda of President Macapagal-Arroyo's congressional run was to ultimately install herself as prime minister in the event of a shift to a parliamentary government.

Pampanga Governor Eddie Panlilio has filed a petition asking the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy to allow him to leave the priesthood to be able to protect the Church from politics as he seeks reelection.

Incumbent Pampanga governor Eddie Panlilio and former board member Lilia Pineda are set to face off again for the province's gubernatorial post after both filed their respective certificates of candiday (COC).

Even if the Supreme Court has decided to let appointive officials stay in office while seeking elective posts in 2010, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) maintained Wednesday that they should still resign for obvious ethical issues.

MANILA - While observers attribute Teodoro's dismal performance in poll-related surveys to President Arroyo's very low net satisfaction ratings, he strongly denied the president's appointment as a curse.

MANILA— Compared to other 2010 presidential aspirants, Eduardo "Bro. Eddie" Villanueva's economics background and an anti-corruption platform of governance may not be unique. But when the aspirants were asked during ABS-CBN News Channel's "Harapan" what they plan to do in their first 100 days in office if elected as president, Villanueva' reply was one of a kind.

The Philippines needs as much as $4.42 billion (around P208 billion) to fully recover from the damage and losses caused by tropical storm "Ondoy" and typhoon "Pepeng," which recently ravaged the country's capital and northern provinces.

HANOI - Vietnamese rice export prices jumped up to 10% on the prospect the country's top grain exporter, Vinafood 2, may win about half of the volume sought in a tender this week by the Philippines, traders said on Wednesday.

SAN FRANCISCO – President Barack Obama's announcement of an Afghanistan troop surge was met with jeers, scorn-filled laughter and hisses from anti-war protesters gathered in a San Francisco bar here Tuesday.

GENEVA - Parliament on Wednesday elected Economy Minister Doris Leuthard as Switzerland's head of state for 2010, marking the first time that women will head all three main arms of the federal government.

Gary Shaw, promoter of reigning WBC and WBA Super World super flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan of Australia, on Wednesday said the "Raging Bull" is aching for a rematch with old tormentor Nonito Donaire, Jr.

We are the champions. With a 100-medal haul, a group of young Filipino numbers aces topped the 20-nation 2009 Philippine International Mathematics Competitions, held during the past two days in Iloilo City.

MANILA - Amid frenzied Christmas holiday atmosphere and showbiz folks fussing about last minute election advisories, actress Alma Moreno was rushed to a hospital Tuesday afternoon for recurrence of a disease diagnosed a few years ago.

ROME - A group of European scientists say they have successfully connected a robotic hand to a man who had lost an arm, allowing him to feel sensations in the artificial hand and control it with his thoughts.

Joan Crawford - "I, Joan Crawford, I believe in the dollar. Everything I earn, I spend."